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Parks & Recreation Committee <br /> Meeting Minutes 06-03-09 <br /> <br />hydraulics, to potentially give the committee some insight on what could be done to increase the <br />water flow from the spring at Hidden Spring Park. Also in attendance was Mr. Nathan Barnes. <br />Dr. Barnes first corresponded in an email with some background information and questions for the <br />committee: I am currently involved in studying the long-term trends for groundwater in the greater <br />metropolitan area. Centerville’s Hidden Spring Park is an interesting, and potentially enlightening, <br />specific example. In anticipation of the meeting this Wednesday, we have done a bit of background <br />research. We were unable to find any records of past flow in the spring, although we have a fairly <br />good sense of the groundwater regime in the area. Any pictures, stories, and anecdotes would be <br />useful. We need to try and get a sense of how often the spring flowed in the past. Some specific <br />questions include: <br /> <br /> <br />1.When was the last time the spring flowed freely? <br /> <br />2.How much water was produced? <br /> <br />3.What is the history of the spring? For example, does it (did it) flow every spring, but dry up <br />in the summer or fall? <br /> <br />4.Does anyone have a record of the flow (e.g. regular diary entries)? Photos of the flow could <br />be useful. <br /> <br />5.Were there years in the past when it did not flow at all? <br /> <br />6.Are there any long-time Centerville residents who are familiar with the spring and the <br />properties in the vicinity (up-slope) on the committee? <br /> <br />Dr. Barnes and the committee discussed as much history as was available on the spring. Vice- <br />Chairperson Amundsen reported that there are springs in the area, on both Centerville Lake and <br />Peltier Lake, that flow freely all year long. Dr. Barnes is interested in this project because in his <br />position on the faculty at the U of Minnesota, he is already doing research on springs in the area <br /> <br />Dr. Barnes spent some time educating the committee on the geology in this part of Minnesota <br />comparing it to a layer cake slightly tilting towards the Mississippi River. All drinking water in <br />Hugo/Centerville is pulled from the Prairie du Chien - Jordan Aquifer(s) which covers a large area. <br />As the aquifers tilt towards the convergence of the three rivers near St. Paul, the wells have to be <br />deeper.Typically with this much development you do not draw drinking water out of the glacial tilt, <br /> <br />it has to be taken from deeper in the aquifer. Some lakes in the area are spring fed, like Centerville <br />Lake. White Bear Lake gets most of its water directly from the aquifer as it is actually a fairly deep <br />lake at about 90 feet in some places which comes in direct contact with the aquifer. Centerville <br />Lake is shallow at about 20 feet, but quite a bit of its water is from the Prairie du Chien - Jordan <br />Aquifers also. The aquifers are extremely low, look at White Bear Lake for instance, which is lower <br />than it has been in years. This is perhaps one reason why the spring at Hidden Spring Park has such <br />a low flow. <br /> <br />The committee then discussed rainfall as a factor, and while we are in a dry period, it is not driest <br />ever; rain is a factor, but not the significant cause. Dr. Barnes said the DNR has consistently <br />monitored Peltier Lake with the exception of a gap from 2000 to 2004 when the lake was not <br />monitored, and there is valuable information recorded that goes back many years. Anoka County <br />also has a well index requiring every well drilled to be register with the state. The driller, by law, <br />has to supply a report on each well. Vice-Chairperson Amundsen’s contention has been that there is <br />2 of 7 <br /> <br />